About Truelove
Truelove has good quality products at a reasonable price and also fantastic customer service! They only sell a few types of harnesses, leashes, collars, and shoes but those come in different sizes and colors.
Truelove TLH5991 Harness Review
This Truelove harness has an interesting design with straps on the side and with a padded chest part which is similar to the material of the other padded Truelove harnesses.
TLH5991 has a Duraflex buckle and Zinc-alloy D-rings for corrosion resistance on the top of the harness. This is a step-in type of harness, which means that you have to lift up both front legs to get the dog into the harness and buckle it above the shoulders.
The hard part is that you have to get both rings to attach the leash. This solution is a good safety feature since there isn’t any pressure on the buckle when the dog pulls - and even if something would happen with the buckle, the leash would keep the harness on the dog. The downside is that it’s not easy to get the carabiner through both small rings e.g. in the dark especially if your dog cannot stay still for the process.
Both the neck and the chest straps are adjustable and they are not fixed at the middle (where it goes through the chest part) so you can move the slider all the way to the other side to set the max/min length which gives you a wide range to adjust.
My Experiences
TLH5991 is a well made, quality harness. I haven’t had any issues with the sewing, or the outer nylon fabric which seems to be durable. Mia went through bushes, forests and I haven’t seen any thread getting loose like I did in case of the Truelove TLH6071 Harness.
The padded chest part is really soft and once the straps are adjusted, it is positioned perfected below the neck without sliding up to the lower neck when the dog walks without pressure on the leash.
The disadvantage of the breathable mesh material is that it behaves like a sponge and it soaks in all the water. Due to the design of the harness, there is nothing to hold that part when it gets heavy from the water so it will hang lower on the chest, pulling the chest straps forward into the armpits.
One issue with this harness is that the chest straps are right in the armpits which can rub the back side of the legs with every step. If you leave the neck straps longer to lower the front and bring the harness back, it can start sliding around much more when the dog walks - especially if it’s wet.
Since the straps can slide through the chest plate, the harness can easily slide to the side and turn on the dog when you pull on the leash. It actually stays in place well when the dog is off-leash.
Since the chest straps are already in the armpits, those cannot slide up much more when the dog pulls on the leash but the neck part slides a little up on the neck as you see it on the photo below. Based on this I would not use it for pulling sports because it also puts weight on the lower neck instead of distributing it on the chest but it’s always important to check how it fits your dog.
My last issue with this harness is the lack of the handle. If you have to quickly grab the harness, you are likely to release the buckle on the top and let your dog loose which can be dangerous in some situations. It also makes it hard to use it for hiking since there is no way you can help the dog up using this harness or grab them if they start to slide.
The only small issue I experienced regarding the quality of the harness is the black paint coming off from the D-rings. I think there would be nothing wrong with just keeping them silver since the paint will be scratched and start peeling off after the first two weeks. This is clearly not a big issue but I wanted to mention it anyway.
Functionality Review
No-pull: It does not have a no-pull ring.
Running/biking (as an occasional hobby, buy specific equipment if you want to get into it seriously): I would suggest against it since I don’t think it distributes the weight well when the dog pulls. You can try running if the dog is not pulling much yet but be sure to check if the legs have enough room to move and the chest straps are not rubbing the legs.
Hiking: The padded part soaks in a lot of mud and water and the harness doesn’t give you an easy way to lift the dog if they would need help on a steep part so it’s probably not your best pick for hiking.
City walk: It works well, especially for smaller dogs when the leash is more pulled upwards than backward due to the size of the dog and the angle of the leash. It has nice colors, it’s visible and padded.
Easy to put on/adjust: It’s not easy to put on: you have to lift both legs or make the dog step into the harness. There are two sliders for easy adjustments, all straps are adjustable.
Visibility: Great, it has bright colors and reflective parts.
Review Summary
This is a good quality harness with an interesting design. I think the main target group would be smaller dogs on city walks and it’s great for that.
It is sturdy but hard to use on hikes due to the lack of a handle and the padded parts soaking everything in. In every case, be sure it does not rub the armpits of your dog and is comfortable to wear. If you need help deciding if this harness is a good fit on your dog, read our article on Y-harness fitting.
Where to buy
You can find this harness on Amazon. It is available in 4 bright colors and 3 sizes. For your reference, Mia needed the biggest size (L).
Disclaimer: this review contains an Amazon affiliate link, which supports Dog Gear Review if you purchase the product after clicking on it without costing you anything extra. Using affiliate links will never compromise us writing unbiased, honest reviews!
Mia’s measurements
Many of you asked Mia’s measurements to better understand the different products’ fit. Your best chance of finding a good fitting gear is always to measure (and remeasure) your dog. Even we grab the measuring tape before getting a new product - even though we tested a lot of them, and have a good feeling of her size by now.
I share her measurements below, but don’t go ahead and order the same size just because your dog is similar to Mia ;)
Shoulder height: 19.5 inches (50 cm)
Weight: 37-44 pounds (17-20 kg)
Widest chest circumference (where the most harness would have the chest strap): 25-26 inches (63-65 cm)
Neck circumference for collars: 15-16 inches (38-40 cm)
Back lengths: 22 inches (56 cm)
